Balloon toy



Dec. 25 1923.

F. A. O'CONNOR BALLOON TOY Filed Feb. 10, 1923 JNVENTOR- I FREDERICKAOCONNOR )7, ;;'/,l F165. BY

ATTOBN E Y5 Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK AUGUSTIN OCONNOR, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

BALLOON TOY.

Application filed February 10, 1923. Serial No. 618,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Auous'rm OCoNNoR, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Balloon Toys, of which the following is the specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in balloon toys and the object of the invention is to devise a toy of this type which may be readily inflated by a child and secured from deflation and yet which may be easily released so as to be deflated at any time desired and at the same time to render the operation more pleasant by appealing directly to the sense of taste of the child and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my toy complete.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, mostly in section of the upper portion of the toy showing the balloon deflated.

Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. 2 showing the inflated position.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 indicates a hollow or tubular stem which may be formed of candy such as barley sugar or of any other material desired. '2 is a balloon provided with a neck 3 having a reinforcing rib 4 extending around the mouth of the neck. The upper end of the stem 1 is inserted in the neck 3 which, being of rubber, grips the end of the stem so as to be securely'held thereon. 5 is an annular member which freely surrounds the neck 3 when deflated. The upper face of the member 5 is slightly concaved as indicated at 5 so as to fit the surface of the balloon when inflated. The annular member 3 extending around the neck contracts the neck so as to form a shoulder 6 at the upper end of the stem 1 against which the annular member 5 is forced by the expanding air within the balloon. The child inserts the opposite or lower end of the stem 1 in its mouth through which it blows when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 so as to inflate the balloon and thereby force the member 5 against the shoulder 6 at the upper end of the stem 1.

Whenthe balloon is sufficiently inflated the annular member 5 is held between the thumb and finger and slightly lifted from contact with the shoulder 6 and then turned. The contracted portion of the neck, being expanded has frictional grip with the interior wall of the member 5 and when the member 5 is turned such neck portion is turned or twisted with it as indicated in Fig. 3. lVhen the neck has been sufliciently twisted to prevent the escape of air the member 5 is permitted to be forced by the inflated balloon against the shoulder 6 with which such member then has frictional contact thus preventing its turning and thereby locking the neck in the twisted position so that air cannot escape therefrom.

It will be readily understood that if the stem 1 is formed of candy the pleasure to the child of inflating the balloon is greatly increased although such stem may be made of any other suitable material desired and which, when the balloon has been inflated, serves as a handle by which the balloon may be held to form a toy for the child.

What I claim as my invention is:

A toy comprising a toy balloon provided with a neck, a tubular stem inserted within the neck, and an annular member extending around the neck and with which the neck frictionally engages when inflated and having one face concaved to fit the inflated balloon and adapted to be forced by such inflated balloon against that portion of the neck extending over the upper end of'the stem.

rnnnnncx mensrm common. 

